IGCSE History Depth Study Sample Answer

History

Paper 4 - Depth Study

Kirit Narain

[Q] How important was the work of Goebbels in the Nazi takeover of Germany? Explain your answer [4 marks]  Joseph Goebbels was Hitler’s right hand man, so his wor was o! importan"e, but only to a "ertain degree in the Na#i taeo$er o! Germany% Germany%  Joseph Goebbels &oined the Na#i Na#i party in '()4, a!ter whi"h he *ui"ly *ui"ly roe up the rans to e$entually be"ome +inister o! Propaganda and Publi" nlightenment by '()(% His sil!ul means o! propaganda gained the Na#is a lot o! support and ultimately "ontributed to their su""ess in the ele"tions o! '(% Goebbels was nown !or his use o! posters to "on$ey the Na#i message% .hese o!ten tried to "apitali#e on people’s hatred su"h as !or the .reaty .reaty o! /ersailles and the Jews in order to mae them belie$e that the Na#is were doing the right thing% 0lternati$ely the posters were also used to promote negati$e "ohesion by a""using the Na#is politi"al opponents% 1or the Na#is, propaganda wasn’t simply a means o! promoting themsel$es, but instead Goebbels was tased with brainwashing people into being wholesomely loyal to the Na#is% Goebbels a""omplished this $ia a $ariety o! methods, the most prominent o! whi"h was the use o! 2adios% .he Na#is produ"ed short-ranged 2adios and sold them !or an e3tremely low pri"e su"h that pra"ti"ally e$eryone was able to pur"hase them% .hese "ould only pi"up the Na#i "hannels on whi"h Hitler’s brilliant spee"hes were looped% arge 2adios were also pla"ed a t almost e$ery street "orner be"ause o! whi"h people were w ere "ontinuously e3posed to Na#i propaganda and the Na#i 5deals were !or"ed upon their brains% Similar to Hitler, Goebbels himsel! was a $ery good speaer as well, a !a"t whi"h he used to prea"h the Na#i message%  .he Na#i’s brought about massi$e "ensorship in Germany, whi"h was mainly !o"used on the Newspaper 5ndustry% 5ndustry% Goebbels made sure that only pro-Na#i arti"les were published su"h that people may not ha$e e$en been aware until at a mu"h later stage about the true woring o! the Na#is% .hose Newspapers whi"h did not "omply with the Na#is were shut down and their writers sent to "on"entration "amps% Similarly was done with boos as well in whi"h only stories about pure 0ryans or whi"h "riti"i#ed Jews were allowed while others were we re burnt% Goebbels produ"ed 6lms in whi"h the Jews were we re portrayed as $illains% .hese 6lms were e7e"ti$e in passi$ely manipulating the minds o! people and getting them to do what the Na#is wanted%  .he Na#is wanted to "ontrol "ontrol e$ery aspe"t o! people’s li$es, li$es, an important way in whi"h they did this was to brainwash the "hildren starting at a young age% .wo .wo types o! du"ation Systems were established 8 .he Hitler 9outh 9outh !or boys and .he eague o! German +aidens !or girls% .he Na#is had always belie$ed in women playing a domesti" role and staying at home to tae "are o! their !amily% !amily% .he eague o! German +aidens did &ust this by tea"hing the girls how to be a mother and loo a!ter the house while w hile the Hitler 9outh 9outh trained boys !or 6ghting% Goebbels made sure that all the sub&e"ts taught related to the Na#i ideas in some wat su"h as they were made to belie$e belie $e that the Jews were to blame !or Germany’s de!eat in the History o! the 1irst :orld :ar%

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History

Paper 4 - Depth Study

Kirit Narain

0ll o! these aspe"ts a""ount !or Goebbels importan"e in the Na#i taeo$er o! Germany% ;n the other hand howe$er, Goebbels "annot be "redited entirely !or the Na#is su""ess as there were other in
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